NEW DELHI: Chief selector Ajit Agarkar swiftly dismissed all the chatter surrounding Virat Kohli’s strike rate in the ongoing IPL, asserting that this topic hasn’t even been on their agenda.
Despite Kohli’s stellar performance this season for Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he has amassed 500 runs at a strike rate of 147, boasting an impressive average of 77, he has faced criticism for his perceived struggle against spinners, particularly in the middle overs.
“We haven’t dwelled on his strike rate. There’s a distinction between IPL and international cricket. Experience matters. We have a well-balanced and powerful team. It’s important to glean positives from the IPL without overthinking it. The pressure of a World Cup game is a different ball game,” Agarkar stated during a media interaction in Mumbai.
Agarkar also acknowledged the difficulty of omitting talented batter Rinku Singh from the final 15.
“It was the toughest decision we had to make. Shubman Gill, for that matter, as well. We included a couple of spinners in the squad to provide Rohit with more options. It’s not Singh’s fault that he missed out. Ultimately, we can only select 15,” Agarkar remarked.
Former South African great AB de Villiers criticized the “data-driven” cricket pundits for scrutinizing Kohli’s strike rate.
“Virat Kohli is being criticized for his strike rate. It’s been going on for too long, and I’m frankly tired of it now. I’m frustrated, to say the least. This guy is one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game of cricket. He is phenomenal in the IPL, playing a specific role for RCB,” de Villiers expressed on his YouTube channel.
“I’ve had enough of data-driven pundits who keep criticizing this man (Kohli) without having the knowledge of the game. How many games have you played? How many IPL hundreds have you scored?”
